Indy Car Series – One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Jun 30, 2008
Ron McQueeney/IMS
The more the IndyCar Series centers itself around Danica Patrick the more it becomes clear that they have one eye on her and the other eye on, well, her. The problem is that while it seems to be a fairly lucrative business exploiting Danica for all it is worth, it could be coming at a heavy price if you take a look at IndyCar’s long-term business plan.
The problem is that while the Danica alternatives, namely Jr. Andretti and Jr. Rahal, bring some name recognition and a desire to win the Indy 500 to the series, they do not bring any grass-roots support. These two kids may walk the paddock with egos that rival their fathers’, but when it comes to the fans cheering their names and wearing their shirts and hats, it just ain’t happenin’. IndyCar fans have historically come from midget and sprint car fans who hoped to see their Saturday night idols get a shot at the big time. But now the big time is NASCAR for those Saturday night open-wheelers. The fans that once despised NASCAR as the “taxi-cab” races and believed that “real race cars don’t have doors,” are now loyal NASCAR fans watching Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and whole bunch of other former hot-shots they used to watch tear-it-up on dirt.
The new unified Indy Car Series caters to the egos of yesteryear making sure the Rahals and the Andrettis are all happy and their heads can fit through all the doors. But the egomaniacs will lose interest in Indy Car because the series won’t grow to meet their endless “need for fame.” Very soon both will aim on F1 thinking they deserve more and if they fail there they will want that big payday that comes with NASCAR.
The irony is that the Andrettis and Rahals “need” the grass-roots racers that come from America’s heartland and bring with them the American life-stories that fans love. People don’t care about the spoiled brats and foreigners who comprise today’s premier American open-wheel racing series. Unless some of the Saturday night hot-shots start getting some time in the IndyCar feeder series we are soon going to see the Indy Car TV ratings and attendance numbers go the same direction as the zipper on Danica’s firesuit.
